Rubio Reveals Trump Hit Pause on Russia Sanctions for 60 Days: "India Can't Pivot Overnight"

Washington, D.C. — President Donald Trump wants 60 days to think before pulling the trigger on sweeping Russia sanctions and tariffs, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday night, revealing the reasoning behind Friday's surprise waiver of key provisions of the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026.

Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews ahead of a week-long tour of Uzbekistan and India, Rubio said the administration needs the two-month window to study what combined sanctions and tariffs would do to the global economy — and to the American economy.

"The problem is these sanctions were not just sanctions on Russia. They include tariffs on a number of countries, India, for example, and others," Rubio said. "I think the president wants to take the 60-day period of time to sort of analyse what imposing both sanctions and tariffs will mean to the global economy and even to the US economy."

The India problem

Rubio was unusually blunt about why one of America's key partners was a sticking point. India has voluntarily diversified its energy sources, he said, but still buys a "substantial amount" of energy from Russia — and untangling that overnight is not realistic.

"Countries like India, for example, have voluntarily diversified their energy portfolio but are still getting a substantial amount of energy from Russia because it's hard to pivot from one day to the next," Rubio said, calling India "an important ally and partner of the United States."

The temporary waiver spares India — one of the world's largest buyers of discounted Russian crude — from the immediate threat of punitive tariffs on Indian goods, which the Graham Act had authorized. The relief also extends to China and other major importers of Russian oil and gas.

What the 60 days buy

Trump's executive order, signed Friday, waives the Act's sanctions, trade restrictions and import duties — penalties that had been due to take effect within days — until the president or the secretary of state, in consultation with the Treasury secretary and the US trade representative, decides otherwise.

Rubio tied the pause to a crowded global picture: pressure on energy supplies from the war involving Iran, Houthi attacks in the region, and the grinding Russia-Ukraine conflict. "When the Graham Act was passed, there were waivers put in to study the different things going around the world," he said.

Rubio's India trip

The remarks landed as Rubio departed for his second official visit to India this year — a trip stopping first in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, before arriving in India on October 20. The India leg includes Mumbai and Jamnagar, with energy cooperation, bilateral ties and commercial investment on the agenda.

The waiver has drawn criticism from both sides of the aisle at home. Rep. Gregory Meeks introduced the bipartisan Prohibit Corrupt Russia Oil Deals Act to block any US purchases of Russian diesel, while EU leaders, after a two-day Brussels summit, expressed regret over the US move and reaffirmed support for Ukraine.

For now, the clock is set: 60 days to decide how — and whether — the sanctions bite.

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Sources:

• News18 — "India Can't Shift From Russian Oil 'Overnight': Marco Rubio Explains Trump's 60-Day Sanctions Pause" (Oct 18, 2026)
• ANI via Reuters (US Network Pool) — Rubio's remarks aboard departure, Oct 18, 2026
• Hindustan Times — "India diversified imports, but hard to pivot in one day" (Oct 18, 2026)
• France24 — "Rubio says Trump to 'analyse' global impact of Russia sanctions during pause" (Oct 18, 2026)
• RTE — "Trump paused Russia sanctions to 'analyse' impact - Rubio" (Oct 18, 2026)